Saturday, May 14, 2011

Much more later on this topic. Tons of fantastic input from a very inclusive meeting. This is the community meeting that was needed DURING preparation of the report before the City Commission. Here are just a few of the pics from the meeting. Thank you Compass for use of your facility!

We will be discussing the Willdan Report, laying out opportunities to communicate with the City Commission and coming up with ideas, comments related to the report and the proposed establishment of an independent Lake Worth Police Department - getting rid of PBSO.

Friday, May 13, 2011

For the past 12 hours or so, all Blogger blogs were "read only" as Google did some sort of major maintenance. I am now able to post again - some of the recent posts are gone, for now. Google says they may be coming back, but who knows. Also, disregard the "Bad Account" message that you get when you first come to the blog. I am not sure where this comes from or what it means.

So, thank you for your patience. There may be some more hiccups to get through before all is back to normal. I will keep you posted.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A major weakness throughout the report is the assumption that our tax base (property value) is an independent variable. In fact, it is a dependent variable which is affected by public perception of crime rates and other quality of life factors. In many ways, PBSO is seen as the only reason our property values haven't slid more than they already have. If we go to our own police department, the city will suffer the effects of the public perception of decreased property and human safety in the city.

Faster, steeper decreases in property values in reaction to the switch from PBSO to our own PD may nullify any gains from the transfer of authority. No analysis is offered.

No assessment regarding the impact to the city's crime rate, gang activity is provided. It is assumed that there is an overall decrease in crime and this is the main reason public perception thinks that PBSO is effective. Fallacious - period.

For a community that purportedly relies on the voice of the "people," no community input went to the formulation of the feasibility study. If so, it likely wouldn't have been done.

There is no identification of the source of funds for the $4 million start-up. Is this from the same "cash portfolio" that we are funding the casino building rehab?

The transition period from July of this year to January 2012 seems improbably fast with no contingency.

Many parts of the report are clearly authored by Susan Stanton with the actual nitty-gritty of the transition and staffing levels appearing to be done by the consultant. To include these proclamations under the Willdan banner is intellectually dishonest.

Reliance on the City of West Palm Beach taking over dispatching authority seems suspect. Isn't West Palm also looking at integration with PBSO? How would that work?

The City of Lake Worth would be breaking yet another agreement with a government entity. Would West Palm Beach actually entertain entering an agreement with Lake Worth based on others' experiences?

There is an assumption that in two years, PBSO will transfer most of those officers in Lake Worth to other areas and filling vacancies with more inexperienced officers, thus affecting service. This comes across more as a scare tactic than anything else. There is no mention about the quality of recruits that the city would find in the "mass hire."

In the introduction, the description of Lake Worth's geographic location only mentions that Palm Beach and West Palm Beach are adjacent to the city's northern boundary. No mention is made of Lantana or Palm Springs. What are the needs of those communities not mentioned as it relates to public safety? Are they in the same boat and looking at PBSO to provide policing services? If so, there might be more economies of scale and an incentive for PBSO to charge less to each municipality. This avenue is not explored. Is not explored because we have so fouled out nest?

There seems to be a heavy reliance on a volunteer force for some police services. Will we be working in the library during the morning and patrolling the streets in the afternoon?

Stanton's original take on the duty of the sheriff is included in the report - essentially saying that they would have to serve Lake Worth if we had no police department with the same level of service provided in the unincorporated area. Yeah right. Tellingly, justification of the division between county and municipal service conflicts includes many references to case law. Can you say another lawsuit?

I am sure that more thoughts will come to me with a few more reads of the document. Note that the deadline for a decision is June 30th - two days after the special election. This, I am sure is no coincidence and likely the real reason for the Mayor's early departure and back room deal to ensure a special election. Instead of just being about who is going to be Mayor for four months before the November election, this will also be a referendum on who will handle policing in Lake Worth.

I will have more to say later. Click title for link to city website which contains the report. My initial impression is that while it appears to be an exhaustive analysis, it is clearly a "results driven" report and certain facts/alternatives are assumed or not addressed - my opinion. Large sections of the report appear to be directly written by City Manager Stanton. In other words, the report is not representative of an independent assessment by a group of professional consultants.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Click title for link to PBP article on the Commission meeting yesterday morning. True to the tyrannical form of government we have in Lake Worth, it appears that both Commissioners McVoy and Golden would like to be Commissioners-for-life.

Allows some ex-felons to apply for an occupational license and public employment before having rights restored. (SB 146/HB 449)

CONCEALED WEAPONS (PASSED)

A concealed weapon permit holder who accidentally shows a gun would no longer be subject to penalty. Dramatically narrower than original bill, which allowed permit holders to carry their guns openly, including on elementary school and college campuses. (SB 234)

DOCTORS AND GUNS (PASSED)

Limits instances when doctors can ask patients if they own firearms. (SB 155)

INMATE RE-ENTRY (FAILED)

Allows more inmates who are near the end of their sentences to live in supervised residential areas after they prove their trustworthiness. (SB 1390)

Decriminalizes sending sexually explicit text messages, photos or videos via cell phone or other electronic devices by minors. The first offense would be punished by a fine or community service hours, with escalating penalties for each offense. (SB 888/HB 75)

Allows more children to qualify for private-school vouchers under the McKay Scholarship program for students with disabilities. (SB 1656/HB 1329)

SCHOOL VOUCHERS — OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS (PASSED)

Allows more students to qualify to move to other public schools by expanding the definition of a “failing” school. (SB 1822/HB 1331)

TEACHER TENURE (SIGNED INTO LAW)

Teacher evaluations will be based in part on student test scores, and administrators will be able to more easily fire teachers with weak evaluations. (SB 736/HB 7019)

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS (PASSED)

Expands online school offerings by allowing more students to enroll in virtual school and letting private companies participate in online education. Requires incoming high school students take at least one online course before graduating. (SB 1620/HB 7197)

PROFESSOR TENURE (FAILED)

Ends tenure in the state’s community colleges. (HB 7193)

Energy and environment

BILLBOARDS (FAILED)

Lets billboard companies decide whether they want to pay into a fund for planting trees — instead of requiring them to — when they get permits to chop down trees that belong to taxpayers. (SB 1570)

CITIZEN CHALLENGES (PASSED)

Reverses state’s “burden of proof” requirement that potential polluters show their project won’t contaminate air or water. Replaces it with requirement that citizens and other challengers provide proof that project will harm air or water. (HB 993/SB 1382)

GROWTH MANAGEMENT (PASSED)

Shifts review and regulation for development from the state to local governments with repeal of 1985 Growth Management Act. (HB 7207)

OCEAN OUTFALLS (FAILED)

Gives South Florida counties more time and leeway to fulfill requirements limiting the discharge of rainwater and treated sewage into the Atlantic Ocean. (SB 796/HB 613)

RENEWABLE ENERGY (FAILED)

Allows utilities to raise rates $377 million, or as much as $2.60 a month for average customers, every year for the next five years to build solar or biomass renewable energy plants and bypass the Public Service Commission. (SB 7082)

SEAPORTS (PASSED)

Gives Citrus County until July 2014 to apply for state funding to study feasibility of a “Port Citrus” on the old barge canal. (SB 524/HB 283)

Requires the governor, lieutenant governor and three Cabinet members to place their personal assets into blind trusts. (SB 86)

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS (FAILED)

Increases the $500 maximum campaign contribution to $10,000 for gubernatorial candidates, $5,000 for Cabinet races and $2,500 for state legislative candidates. (SB 1690)

ELECTED OFFICIAL RECALL (FAILED)

Constitutional amendment proposals to allow recalls of state officials either through petition or statute. (HJR 785/HB 787)

ELECTIONS (PASSED)

Reduces days of early voting from 14 to eight, requires some voters who have moved to cast provisional ballots, tightens the time for third-party groups to submit voter registration forms and reduces the time that signatures on citizen-led ballot initiatives are valid. (SB 2086/HB 1355)

ETHICS (FAILED)

Bars a lawmaker from voting on legislation that would “inure to his or her special private gain or loss” or to an employer, relative, business associate or board upon which the official sits. (SB 2088/HB 1071)

GIFT BAN (FAILED)

Allows lobbyists to provide $25 worth of food and drink or gifts to lawmakers. Items worth more than $25 up to $100 would be reported, and anything over $100 would require approval of Senate president or House speaker. (SB 1322)

Gambling

CASINO RESORTS (FAILED)

Allows for development of resort casinos in up to five areas of state. (SB 2050/HB 1415)

Frees dog track owners from requirement that they hold certain number of live races each year to maintain licenses for a casino or card room. (SB 1594/HB 1145)

ONLINE POKER (FAILED)

Regulates online poker games by allowing Floridians to play with other Floridians through an Intranet system operated out of parimutuel card rooms. (SB 812)

SWEEPSTAKES CAFES (FAILED)

Prohibits use of simulated gaming for promotional purposes. (HB 217)

Government and rulemaking

GOVERNMENT PENSIONS (PASSED)

Local government employees face new limits on sick leave and overtime under a compromise plan. (SB 1128/HB 7241)

GUN CONTROL (PASSED)

Prohibits local governments from regulating firearms. (HB 45)

PENSION REFORM (PASSED)

Employees in the Florida Retirement System will pay three percent of their salaries into their retirement accounts, face higher retirement ages and their retirement accounts will no longer collect cost-of-living-adjustment starting July 1. (SB 2100, HB 1405)

CABINET RULES REPEALS (FAILED)

Provision in rulemaking bill would have allowed Cabinet members during their first six months in office to repeal rules if they are obsolete or if they conflict with policies members are trying to implement was removed from bill that passed. (HB 993)

Requires minors seeking a judicial waiver for parental notification of an abortion to get the waiver in district court rather than a wider-reaching appeals court. (SB 1770/HB 1247)

ABORTION — THIRD-TRIMESTER BAN (FAILED)

Expands ban on third-trimester abortions to include viability of the fetus. Doctors who perform abortions would be required to receive ethics training. (SB 1748/HB 1397)

ABORTION — ULTRASOUND (PASSED)

Women preparing to undergo an abortion must be offered the opportunity to have the results and images of an ultrasound explained to them. Woman can decline to see the image. (SB 1744/HB 1127)

MEDICAID (PASSED)

Reforms place the program’s three million recipients into managed care. HMOs and other large, managed-care networks will bid with the state on managing any number of 11 regions in state. Also makes it more difficult for recipients to sue Medicaid doctors and hospitals. (SB 1972/HB 7107, 7109)

NURSING HOMES (FAILED)

Provides a $300,000 limit on pain and suffering damages in wrongful death cases against nursing homes. Requires the court to hold a hearing before allowing punitive damages. (HB 661)

SALE OR LEASE OF A PUBLIC HOSPITAL (FAILED)

Requires a judge — or in some cases, voters — to sign off on the proposed sale or lease of a public hospital. (SB 1448/HB 619)

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY (PASSED)

Extends state lawsuit protection to university doctors teaching at public hospitals. (SB 1676/HB 1393)

Gives any veteran in the country the in-state tuition rate to attend one of Florida’s colleges or universities. (SB 826/683)

VETERANS COURT (FAILED)

Allows counties to develop jail-diversion programs for veterans charged with certain crimes as a result of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder or substance use stemming from military combat. (SB 138)

VETERANS DAY (FAILED)

Requires schools to observe Veterans Day as a holiday and not hold classes. (SB 1062/HB 375)

Rick Scott priorities

DRUG TESTS FOR WELFARE RECIPIENTS (PASSED)

Requires drug screening for adult welfare recipients, who will lose benefits for a year if they test positive. (HB 353)

Protects from civil litigation people who offer temporary housing, food, water or electricity to an emergency first-responder or immediate family members of an emergency first-responder. (SB 450/HB 215)

IMMIGRATION (FAILED)

Requires some public or private employers to use the federal government’s E-Verify system, and changes rules for law enforcement to check the immigration status of suspects or inmates. (SB 2040/HB 7089)

Taxes and budget

BUDGET (PASSED)

The $69.7 billion plan funds state government for the 2011-2012 year. (SB 2000)

CORPORATE INCOME TAX (PASSED)

A tax break of $1,100 a year on average for 15,000 small businesses as Republicans vowed that it will be the first step in a multi-year effort to cut the state’s annual $2 billion corporate tax. (HB 7185)

ONLINE TRAVEL TAX (FAILED)

Shields online travel companies from paying taxes on retail price of hotel rooms they sell and allows them to continue to pay based on wholesale cost. (SB 376 /HB 493)

PROPERTY TAXES (PASSED)

Requires property owners to pay 75 percent of their taxes while they appeal their property appraisals. (HB 281)

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (PASSED)

Pays for a tax cut for businesses by cutting state benefits for unemployed Floridians. Instead of making the maximum $275 weekly benefit available for 26 weeks, the state would use a sliding scale based on the unemployment rate. Benefits would be available for no more than 23 weeks and no less than 12 weeks. (HB 7005)

Eliminates discount on prepaid tolls for those who buy SunPass Cards (SB 1252)

Constitutional amendments (require voter approval in 2012)

ABORTION (PASSED)

Prohibits use of taxpayer money for abortions. (SJR 1538/HJR 1179)

COURT REVAMP (PASSED)

Lets Senate confirm new justices and makes it easier for the Legislature to void court rules. Also gives House access to now-confidential investigations of judicial misconduct in advance of impeachment proceedings. (HJR 7111)

FUNDING FOR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS (PASSED)

Does away with provision prohibiting the use of public money for religious institutions and adds language prohibiting the government from denying funding based on religion. (SJR 1218/HJR 1471)

End of qualifying is set for May 31st and begins May 24th. I did not hear the meeting myself but apparently Dee McNamara says that "people" are threatening Laurence - trying to get him not to run. If anyone cares to elaborate, please do so under comments.

A while back, I may have sent you an email about my BOOKCYCLE. Every day, I ride my bicycle on a 10-mile loop to downtown Lake Worth, over to the beach and then back home, distributing books from my BOOKCYCLE along the way. The response has been surprising and funny. Tourists often have their photos taken with me and the BOOKCYCLE at the beach, and people have started following me in their cars making videos with their I-phones. I regularly meet some very interesting people along my daily route. What started as a bit of a lark has taken on a life of its own.Last week, the Palm Beach Post newspaper sent a reporter and photographer over to the beach to do an hour-long interview and photoshoot with me and the BOOKCYCLE for a feature story in their magazine section. It will be published the first week of June.I have created a BOOKCYCLE website to record the whole weird and wonderful experience: http://bookcyclebooks.wordpress.com

Timothy Lunney

Sunday, May 8, 2011

I thought you might like to see this picture I found recently. It is of me and my mother, taken sometime in the mid-Sixties. Even though she has been gone for eight years now, it's on days like today that I acknowledge the profound influence mothers have on our lives. So, mothers of the world, have a wonderful day today. For those of you, like me, whose mother exists in your memories, may you cherish those memories even more on this special day.

Click title for the PBP account of the affair. The Vice Mayor channels Annabeth Karson, self-proclaimed spokesperson of the "people," at the groundbreaking. Don't get me wrong, I am not wanting the project to fail or not go forward...it has been too long a time to be in a stalemate. However, can we represent the project what it actually is and acknowledge that the building is NOT being saved? Can we get an acknowledgement from Vice Mayor Suzanne Muleville that she used the false prospect of saving the building in her first campaign to get elected? Or according to prevailing standards for civility in our community, is it o.k. to lie with impunity it you are running for office or end up being an elected official?